If you have ever been into skiing or snowboarding, you know about Mt. Hood. You know that glacier up there in Oregon where all the pro riders go and ride private parks and pipes while the rest of us sweat it out in the desert. If you’re lucky or good enough, you might have had the chance to head north and become a digger up there, working that daily grind of shaping parks features for all the other kids to hit with hopes that after work the run-ins and landings aren’t rutted out too bad for you to ride. Maybe if your parents were generous or you saved all your lunch money for two years, you went to summer camp. For a nominal fee, you were allowed to share a bunk with a hundred other campers, eat cafeteria food and ride the private parks the pros rode. Not to mention, you got to learn from them as well. Summer camps up at Hood are where we wanted to be, if you wanted to progress your skills and rub elbows with the world’s best riders, it was the only way. If you have never been, you are really missing out. Fortunately for you, though, Windells has been On The Road.

“Basically the point of the On The Road Tour is to deliver one seriously fun weekend of park progression, and show campers around the country what Windells is all about,” says Angela Swain, Windells Camp Marketing Coordinator. Through a quick, condensed version of summer camp, riders are enrolled in a program of events, including lessons, film analysis, group lunches and activities, and even yoga. The price is reasonable at $249 bucks, but anyone who attends these winter sessions gets a discount on the summer camps as well.

This year, 14 campers showed up to Brighton to progress their skills with the help of coaches, including Cody Lee, who provided endless stoke for the campers. The group consisted of riders and skiers ranging from age 7 to 32. Jake, the youngest camper, learned to board slide a rainbow box within 20 minutes with the help of his coach and the encouragement of the older campers. A few of the other campers were working on jumps and simple grabs. There’s a misconception of camp that this kind of tour helps to clear. You don’t have to be a pro to attend, just a desire to have fun, which I certainly didn’t see a lack of this weekend.

Windells On the Road Tour continues with stops at Hunter Mountain in NY, Stratton Resort in VT and Snoqualmie in WA. For more information, log onto windells.com.